Thursday, September 13, 2012

Three-fer Thursday-Relaxing at Renaissance Village

I don't know about you, but since school has started and all of the fall activities have started back up, I'm looking for some ways to entertain the little ones that are a little more relaxing, a little calmer and low key. I'm looking for a nice quiet way to spend an afternoon but still get out of the house. So, here's a great way to head out in the afternoon for a little activity and fun.

Now, this Three-fer starts with the need for some kiddo haircuts. I don't know how my boys' hair grows so fast, but it seems like we are always in need of a haircut, and if I attempted that myself, they would end up looking pretty scary. So, I always head to Sport Clips in the Renaissance Village Shopping Center near Southpoint in S. Durham. They are reasonable priced and the boys like the atmosphere. Plus, they are used to dealing with kids and give them a good haircut.

However, if Sports Clips isn't your thing or you're in the market for a little more entertaining haircut, head across the shopping center to the new location of Peek-a-do. It's located right next to Tomato Jake's and is also a great option for a kid haircut. While they are a little pricier than Sports Clips they offer more amenities like train tables, treats you can buy after a successful haircut, vehicles kids can ride on while they get their haircuts, and TV's they can watch.

So, whatever you choose, you can get your kids a haircut and then head just next door for a little entertainment. We love stopping by Petco for a little toddler entertainment. We typically start at the small rodent area, watch the hamsters in their wheels and ferrets in their tubes, then breeze past the fish, see if there are any lizards, observe the birds flitting around, check if there are any cats for adoption, and maybe even watch the puppies getting their own haircuts in the grooming salon. The kids love it and it's a pretty low key way to get some entertainment. Hopefully you can also pick up what supplies you need for your own pet.

After your adventure through Petco, you can finish off this Three-fer with a stop at neighboring Moonberries. This is one of the latest froyo craze, and it's pretty yummy. The kids love getting the self-serve yogurt and then picking their own toppings. Plus, you can control the portions they get and what you want to pay for it, so it can be a fairly inexpensive sweet treat.

Variations: There are several variations on this Three-fer that you could do if you still have not filled your afternoon yet. You could also stop by Michaels to check out their inexpensive bins of treats for kids or you could head over to Target in the same shopping center and do the same. Finally, to make the afternoon and evening really easy you could head right into Tomato Jake's and get one of their slices of pizza to split or any other yummy treats for dinner. You could even save the trip to Moonberries until after the dinner at Tomato Jake's.

When to go: We like this stop for a relaxing afternoon, but there's no reason you couldn't spend a morning wandering these Renaissance Village shops.

What it'll cost you: The haircuts at Sports Clips are about $14 dollars a piece plus tip and a few dollars more at Peek-a-do. You can bring money to get your furry, feathered, or fishy friend a treat at Petco or just see the sights, and Moonberries will cost you about $3 per yogurt depending on how full you fill your bowl. (It's 40 cents an ounce.)What to bring: You won't need anything except your diaper bag and wallet for this Three-fer although you may want some wipes for the frozen yogurt stop. The great part is if you go to Petco, Sports Clips, and Moonberries you can park the car once and walk up and down the sidewalk to get to each stop. (no loading the kids in and out of the car!) Peek-a-do and Tomato Jake's are also just a careful walk across the parking lot.